Five Critical Steps for a Successful Web Site Launch

These five steps will help your web site launch go as smoothly as possible from a technical standpoint.

Success in this case is defined as the site operating without errors, crashes or other anomalies related to the process of bringing it online in a production environment. I’ll assume that you have thoroughly tested the new site while it was in development. If the site is a teetering pile of bugs, this preparation will only ensure that you can roll back to the old site in short order.

1. Form a Launch Team
Create a team with key internal and vendor staff to plan and execute the launch. This team should draw from your web and IT staff, marketing and/or communications, web hosting company, and web developer and/or content management system vendor. Basically, anyone who either had a direct role in developing the new site or is a major stakeholder should be represented.

The goal for this team is to execute the smoothest possible launch of the new site. The team will plan and manage the overall launch. Including your outside vendors is critical since they are the deepest subject experts on launching the technology you are going to use.

The team should be formed near the beginning of the overall web site development project. Launch considerations should be discussed periodically throughout the project so that it is not treated as an afterthought. This will greatly aid the ease and success of the site launch.

2. Develop and Practice Launch Procedures
The Launch Team should identify all steps and players in launching the new site. Document each step and who is responsible for executing it. Identify any problems that might occur at each step and how you can prevent them or deal with them if they do occur.

Once complete, the entire team should review the launch plan and hash through any questions, comments or edits they may have. Practice the launch plan a few times to test the procedures and ensure the launch team actually knows how to do it all.

Finally, you should document how to put the old site back into production if all else fails. Practice this as well. Hopefully you won’t need to do this but, if you do, you’ll be very happy to have planned for it.

3. Brief Key Staff
Representatives of the launch team should brief key staff on the launch. For example, brief your call center on the new site, timeline for the launch, and who to report problems to if they start receiving calls. You should also brief senior executives who have a major stake in the site.

4. Name a Launch Day Decision Maker
Identify who on the team makes the ultimate call on how to handle contingent problems on the day of the launch. This is the person who would decide to roll back to the old site if things go horribly wrong, for example. Even if the team is comprised of equals, name a person who makes the hard calls. You’ll be lost in the heat of a crisis without agreement and support within the team for a single decision maker.

5. Launch on a Monday
Unless you savor working all weekend, schedule the launch for early on a Monday. You are more likely to be able to have everyone you need on hand for the launch and will see the site operating under normal traffic conditions. Launching over a weekend makes it harder to tap key resources you may need and is largely unnecessary for most organizations.

Following these five steps will give you the best chance at a smooth launch. Good luck!

+1 (410) 742-9088 | david@highcontext.com

High Context Consulting, LLC

Five Critical Steps for a Successful Web Site Launch

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